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B030307Abhidhammatthasaṅgaho(abhidharma summary of meaning)

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English

are objects for mind-moments by way of an image of meaning. Taking that, holding that, making it a reason, being conceived in various ways, it is reckoned, it is named, it is expressed, it is designated. Thus it is called 'designation'. This designation is called 'designation' because it is designated. 41. Designation, from the act of designating, is explained by terms like 'name', 'naming', 'action', and so on. It is sixfold: existing designation, non-existing designation, non-existing by an existing, existing by a non-existing, existing by an existing, and non-existing by a non-existing. 42. Therein, when by it they designate what truly exists, such as form and feeling, then this is existing designation. But when by it they designate what truly does not exist, such as land and mountains, then this is called non-existing designation. The remaining ones, by way of mixture of both, should be understood respectively as: 'one with six supernormal powers', 'sound of a woman', 'eye-consciousness', and 'king's son'. 43. Following the sound of speech, in the path of ear-consciousness, the objects of the mind-door, arising immediately after cessation. Following which, meanings are understood thereafter; this designation should be known as created by worldly convention. Thus, in the Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, the section called 'Classification of Causal Relations', the Eighth Chapter. 9. Chapter on Meditation Subjects 1. Hereafter, the development of tranquility and insight. I shall explain the meditation subjects, both kinds, in due order. Tranquility Meditation Subjects 2. Therein, in the collection of tranquility subjects, there are ten kasiṇas, ten impurities, ten recollections, four illimitables, one perception, one analysis, and four formless attainments. Thus, the collection of tranquility meditation subjects is sevenfold. Classification of Temperaments 3. Lustful temperament, hateful temperament, deluded temperament, faithful temperament, intellectual temperament, and speculative temperament. Thus, the collection of temperaments is sixfold. Classification of Development 4. Preliminary development, access development, and absorption development. Thus, there are three developments. Classification of Signs 5. Preliminary sign, acquired sign, and the counter-part sign— these three signs should be known. 6. How? Earth-device, water-device, fire-device, wind-device, blue-device, yellow-device, red-device, white-device, space-device, light-device— these are called the ten devices. 7. The bloated, the discoloured, the festering, the cut-up, the gnawed, the scattered, the scattered and cut-up, the bloody, the worm-infested, the skeletal— these are called the ten foul things. 8. Recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dhamma, recollection of the Saṅgha, recollection of virtue, recollection of generosity, recollection of deities, recollection of peace, recollection of death, mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of breathing— these are called the ten recollections. 9. Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity— these are called the four immeasurables, and are also called the divine abidings. 10. Perception of the loathsomeness of food is one perception. 11. The analysis of the four elements is one analysis. 12. The base of infinite space and so on are the four formless attainments— thus, in the description of calm, there are forty meditation subjects in all. Division of Suitability 13. Among the temperaments, the ten foul things and the contemplation of the parts of the body, which is mindfulness of the body, are suitable for one of lustful temperament. 14. The four immeasurables and the four devices beginning with blue are suitable for one of hateful temperament. 15. Mindfulness of breathing is for one of deluded temperament and one of discursive temperament. 16. The six beginning with recollection of the Buddha are for one of faithful temperament. 17. Recollection of death, recollection of peace, and the analysis of the elements are for one of intelligent temperament. 18. All the remaining meditation subjects are suitable for everyone, but even among them, the large ones are for one of deluded temperament, and the small ones are for one of discursive temperament. This is the division of suitability here. Division of Development 19. In all developments, preparatory development is always obtained. In the eight beginning with recollection of the Buddha and in the perceptions and analyses— that is, in these ten meditation subjects— access development alone is achieved, there is no absorption. 20. In the remaining thirty meditation subjects, absorption development is also achieved. 21. Even among these, the ten devices 1. And mindfulness of breathing, are five-fold jhānas. 22. The ten foul objects and mindfulness of the body are first-jhāna. 23. Loving-kindness and the other two are four-fold jhānas. 24. Equanimity is a five-fold jhāna. Thus, these twenty-six are the rūpa-jhāna meditation subjects. 25. And the four formless attainments are the formless-jhāna. This is the distinction of development here. Distinction of object 26. Among the signs, the preliminary sign and the acquired sign are always obtained in due course, as appropriate. 27. But the counterpart sign is obtained only in the kasiṇas, foul objects, parts of the body, and mindfulness of breathing. For there, with the counterpart sign as object, access concentration and absorption concentration arise. 28. How? For one who is a beginner, when grasping a sign such as a disc of earth, that object is called the preliminary sign. And that development is called preliminary development. 29. But when that sign is well-grasped by the mind, as if it were seen by the eye, and has come into the mind's door, then that very object is called the acquired sign. And that development is called concentration. 30. Likewise, for one who is concentrated, thereafter, when one applies oneself to development on that acquired sign with preliminary concentration, and when the counterpart of that, which is freed from the substance-dharma, called a concept, an object born of development, is settled and established in the mind, then that is called the arising of the counterpart sign. 31. From then on, the access development, which is called sense-sphere concentration, is said to be accomplished, having abandoned hindrances. 32. Thereafter, when one cultivates that very counterpart sign with access concentration, the first rūpa-jhāna is attained. 33. Thereafter, having made that very first jhāna mastered by these five masteries: adverting, entering, resolving, emerging, and reviewing, when one strives to abandon the gross factors such as initial application, and to attain the subtle factors such as sustained application, the second jhāna and so on are attained in due course, as appropriate. 34. Thus, in the twenty-two meditation subjects, beginning with the earth kasina, the counter-image is obtained. 35. As for the remaining ones, the immeasurables occur in relation to sentient beings. 36. In the kasinas, excluding the space kasina, having opened up any kasina and obtained the space, one who performs preliminary work by conceiving it as infinite attains the first immaterial attainment. 37. One who performs preliminary work by conceiving that same first immaterial consciousness as infinite attains the second immaterial attainment. 38. One who performs preliminary work by conceiving the absence of that same first immaterial consciousness as “there is nothing” attains the third immaterial attainment. 39. One who performs preliminary work by conceiving the third immaterial attainment as “this is peaceful, this is sublime” attains the fourth immaterial attainment. 40. And in the remaining ten meditation subjects, having performed preliminary work by taking the qualities of the Buddha as the object, and having thoroughly grasped that image, the preliminary work is completed there, and access concentration is achieved. 41. As for the fifth jhana of the fine-material sphere, which occurs by way of supernormal powers, having emerged from the fifth jhana that is the basis for supernormal powers, and having adverted to the object to be willed, and so on, one who performs preliminary work attains the respective objects, such as forms. 42. And supernormal powers are of five kinds: various psychic powers, divine ear, knowledge of others’ minds, recollection of past lives, and divine eye. This is the distinction of their ranges. Here ends the section on calm meditation subjects. Insight Meditation Subjects Distinction of Purifications 43. In insight meditation subjects, the collection of purifications is sevenfold: purification of virtue, purification of mind, purification of view, purification by overcoming doubt, purification by knowledge and vision of what is path and not path, purification by knowledge and vision of the way, and purification by knowledge and vision. 44. The three characteristics are: the characteristic of impermanence, the characteristic of suffering, and the characteristic of non-self. 45. The three contemplations are: contemplation of impermanence, contemplation of suffering, and contemplation of non-self. 46. The knowledge of comprehension, the knowledge of rise and fall, the knowledge of dissolution, the knowledge of fear, the knowledge of danger, the knowledge of dispassion, the knowledge of the desire for deliverance, the knowledge of re-contemplation the knowledge of equanimity regarding formations, and the knowledge of conformity—these are the ten insights. 47. Emancipation by emptiness, emancipation by signlessness, and emancipation by desirelessness—these are the three emancipations. 48. The contemplation of emptiness, the contemplation of signlessness, and the contemplation of desirelessness—these are to be known as the three doors to emancipation. 49. How?

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